The renowned car’s wings were made of walnut, and its chassis was made from pear and apple trees.
A wooden Citroen 2CV, rumored to be the only one of its kind, sold for 210,000 euros ($225,000) at a French auction, breaking previous records for the legendary car.
The car, which was in excellent condition and registered in France, exceeded expectations when it was auctioned in the historic town of Tours on Sunday.
The 2CV’s body was hand-made from wood and featured the same iconic curves as the post-war French classic. It was purchased by a Paris-based collector and proprietor of a museum dedicated to former carnival rides, Jean-Paul Favand. After the bet, Favand told AFP I had trouble communicating over the phone. The auction company had stated that it was “much more than a car — it’s a work of art” and had given a guiding price range of 150,000-200,000 euros. As he dropped the hammer, auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac proclaimed the sale a record. The previous record for a 2CV was achieved in 2016 when the Paris-based auction house Artcurial sold an exceptionally rare 1961 2CV Sahara in nearly immaculate condition for 172,800 euros.
The wings of the wooden 2CV were made out of walnut, and its chassis was made out of pear and apple trees. The bonnet was carved out of a single block of cherry wood using chisels and sandpaper. Beginning in 2011, Robillard claimed to AFP that he spent five years and roughly 5,000 hours building the car.
As he washed the car for the auction, he said, “It’s like my daughter.” “I had three boys, and this was my little daughter.”
The Citroen 2CV, also known as “deux chevaux” or “two horsepower,” was introduced in 1948 as the automaker’s response to the Volkswagen Beetle.
The original engine from Citroen’s later 3CV model is installed in Robillard’s vehicle, providing the extra power required to move the inherently heavier wooden structure.
For the upcoming several years, he claimed, he had another “crazy project” in mind. He plans to create a wooden facsimile of another French icon, the Citroen DS, which will mark its 70th anniversary in 2025.
In the 1990s, Robillard, a woodworker since age 14, started creating little wooden copies of well-known automobiles. His complex work has earned him numerous awards, including one for a Harley Davidson motorcycle and sidecar that took over 500 hours to complete.
